Chapter 25

As soon as we’re back, Brown eyes tells me that we have to report in. All I want to do though is sleep. My rest on the boat, if you could call it that did nothing to fix the painful ache in my muscles nor this headache that won’t go away. But my opinion wasn’t asked and I doubt it will be considered. So, I follow them.

Once we’re standing outside a tent that has my countries emblem, the weeping flower painted on the front, the energy between the two men changes. Brown eyes gives purple eyes a look that demands his silence before announcing our arrival.

A nasally voice responds for us to come in, so I follow the men inside. Mirroring their actions, I stand next to them in front of the desk of a man I’m assuming is some type of commander.

Stealing a glance at the furniture and items in the tent, I have to say that this seems a bit— excessive. We’re in the middle of nowhere, and yet, this man lives better in a tent than me and Sai do…did, in our house.

Brown eyes takes the lead as he falls into a lengthy greeting. The man sitting behind a desk has a dissatisfied expression on his face that grows more severe with each word.

I bypass the art pieces and footlocker that has shoes I doubt have ever been worn to examine the wine collection. There are at least fifty bottles of very expensive wine in one of the five cabinets. Guess this is what they mean when they refer to people who have hobbies.

“If you are finished regaling me with your adventure, get out.” The man spats. The longer I’m here, the surer I am that he doesn’t like my escorts.

We all file out without another word. Only after we’re a safe distance away do I ask, “Who was that and why does he hate you guys?”

“That is Lieutenant Idiot, he’s in charge of the base. And he hates us because my brother doesn’t know how to keep his opinions to himself.”

Purple eyes steps in to defend himself while I’m still shocked that the commander of the camp was just referred to as an idiot. I feel like that’s an inside thought.

“It wasn’t an opinion. He asked if I thought that he was being unreasonable, and I agreed.”

“It was rhetorical,” brown eyes snaps. “Lieutenant Idiot was giving you a chance to say no, and we could have moved on with our lives. Instead, we got shoved on a boat in the ocean to get her and we almost died in the process.”

Before they can continue with their fight, I interject since we’re getting some weird looks from people. “Umm, maybe you shouldn’t call him that so loud. In case he hears.”

“Call him what?” Brown eyes asks clearly not understanding my warning.

“You know, Lieutenant” –I scan our surrounding before saying in a whisper— “idiot.”

Now, they’re both confused.

“Wait, is that actually his name?!”

Brown eyes nods as he tries to figure out why that shocks me. “Yeah, why?”

“Do you know what his name means?” Taking their blank faces as a no, I beckon them closer so I can tell them. “It means stupid, incompetent, or weak minded.”

“I’ve never heard that. How do you know that?” Purple eyes whispers as if we’re conspiring some dastardly plot together.

“We use that term all the time in Wirra.”

“Really?” Brown eyes seems skeptical.

I nod solemnly. Not because of what I told them, but because I know me. And I know that if I have to look that man in his eyes and call him an idiot, it’s going to break me. There’s no way I’m not going to laugh.

The next time brown eyes talks, he’s no longer whispering. It seems he forgot that we’re in public.

In a clear voice that can be heard by everyone, he announces, “so, his name is Lieutenant stupid. It really does suit him.”

Then, he laughs. He laughs like this is the funniest thing he’s ever heard. It feels like a bucket of cold water is being dumped on me upon realizing that there’s no way for me to take back the knowledge I just granted him. The Divinity of Time has done her damage, and the Lieutenant Idiot stands behind him.

As Lieutenant Idiot rounds on purple eyes and his brother as well for some reason, I have a decision to make. Stand with them in solidarity and potentially get in trouble as well. Or, run away while no one’s watching.

Guilt gnaws at me as I hear the Lieutenant’s screams several yards away. However, this time I have to prioritize my own future and not get on the lieutenant’s bad side. Sorry guys.

I wouldn’t say that I end up wondering aimlessly, but it definitely takes me a while to find out where I’m supposed to go. By the time I find my assigned tent, it’s lacking in the level of appeal I was expecting from all the effort I put into tracking it down. Basically, it wasn’t worth the effort I put into finding it.

Though I try, I’m unable to avoid every muddy patch of land as I walk up to the tent. I don’t miss the buzzing sounds I hear from the bush the sitting a few feet from the tent on my right, nor the giant hole in the ground that’s next to it. It’s simply that I decided I’m better off not knowing if I want to sleep peacefully.

I’m about to step into the tent when I spot a woman already inside. She catches sight of me and picks up her…axe. For safe measure, I take a step back.

“Hello. You need something?” Her deep, rich voice asks as she takes me in.

“Sorry, yes. I’m not sure if this is the right place, but I’ve been instructed that the tent for women at the camp is somewhere around—”

“Are you a commoner? If so, your tent is over that way.” She points behind me towards a cluster of small tents I walked past earlier.

I should be more confident speaking to her, but all I end up doing is rambling since I’m nervous. “No…well I’m kind of a…I’m a noble. They said tent…seven.”

When I finish making a fool out of myself, I spare another glance at the number that’s been painted onto the fabric of the tent.

She doesn’t respond. But she does shift the axe from one hand to the other.

“Umm—”

The words I think to supply as an argument for my assignment to this tent dies on my tongue as she swings the axe down. The wind that I feel against my cheek from the movement makes me produce a very undignified squeak.

“Careful. Those stinger bugs are poisonous,” she warns.

I turn my head to my right and glance at the twitching remnants of a stinger bug the size of my hand that she cut down the middle. Disturbingly, I see another one of those stinger bugs retreat into the bush that I heard buzzing from earlier.

“Thank you.” I can’t hide the disgust on my face.

“It’s fine. Come one, let me show you where your bed is.”

Before she has a chance to lead me to the tent, curiosity gets the better of me. I point to the hole in the ground and ask the woman its purpose.

She gives a knowing nod before responding. “When the tide comes in, that’s the hole that the rats come out of to get to higher ground. Try your best to avoid it.”

Nh, shouldn’t have asked.

Determined not to learn or see anything else that will give me nightmares, I trail close behind her. Inside the tent, her hand grazes a lamp attached to one of the metal beams holding up this massive structure.

The once dimly lit tent brightens significantly. From my vantage point, the item that’s producing light is mostly concealed behind the metal bottom of the lamp, but I don’t think it’s a flame.

Rising on my tip toes, I’m able to see an ember that gives off a yellow-orange hue. Must be a magic stone.

With the lamps illuminating the inside of the tent, I’m now able to see the barren inside. Well, it has things inside, it just doesn’t compare to the amount of clutter that was in the lieutenant’s tent. And that bed she said she would show me has been mis-represented. It’s a cot, not a bed. And mine has a large blood stain right in the middle of it.

The sight causes my stomach to give somersault. It doesn’t take much consideration to decide that I would rather sleep on the ground with the rats than in that cot.

“That bed belonged to Lonnie. Sorry about the blood.”

To my dismay, she doesn’t explain who Lonnie is nor what happened to her.

“My name’s Nocturne.” Nocturne holds her hand out for a handshake.

After clasping it, I take this chance to introduce myself. “I’m Em. Nice to meet you.”

If I want people to take me seriously here, I decide that I should stop using my nickname. Of course, I wouldn’t dare use my real name, so I go with an abbreviation.

“Nice to meet you Em. Your trunk is over there for your things. And if no one told you, the meal hall—”

Nocturne gives me a brief layout of the camp that I’m extremely grateful for. Just as she’s about to explain where to find the chore chart, a person drops down from the sky and lands in front of me.

Shock sends me reeling backwards. My body doesn’t know whether to defend or attack so I end up making a strange flailing motion as if I’m warding something off.

“Didn’t think we would get a replacement Lonnie so soon. Hopefully you’ll be a better version.”

I flinch at her smile that suggests my life depends on being better than Lonnie. “Hi. I’m—"

“I heard your name earlier. What’s your last name?”

I shake my head. I don’t want to tell her, I can’t tell you, so I chose not to say anything.

“Can’t say? Why? Are you a royal? A part of a merchant family, or maybe a family with seer mythics?”

“She said she’s a noble. And back up Kennedy,” Nocturne chides.

Kennedy’s shorter than me, and much shorter than Nocturne, but she feels like the biggest person in the tent. Her intense eyes dig into my soul as she tries to work out something.

“This is Kennedy, my sister.” Nocturne holds a hand towards Kennedy with an exhausted expression on her face. These sort of interactions must be common for her.

“You are a mythic though.”

Noddin my head, I confirm what Kennedy said despite her not phrasing it like a question. I’m not sure how she found out so fast, but I guess it doesn’t really matter.

“Then what can you do?”

“I haven’t awakened yet so…I don’t know.”

My initial thought was to follow up with, but I can sew really good. The logical part of my brain puts a halt to that idea though. No point appearing even more pathetic.

“Tsk. Useless.” Kennedy declares after determining that I have nothing to offer.

My eyes fall to the blood stain on my cot. I wonder if the conversation Lonnie had with Kennedy was similar to this one when she first arrived at the camp. If so, then I don’t think this bodes well for me.